After Slaviansk's fall, splits open in Ukraine rebel ranks

Maria Tsvetkova

Donetsk: Allies compare him to the general who forced Napoleon's armies out of Russia and support him in his role as the pro-Moscow separatists' defence chief in eastern Ukraine, but for some rebel leaders Igor Girkin's orders carry little authority.

The decision by Girkin, better known by his nom de guerre Strelkov ("the gunman"), to abandon the rebel stronghold of Slaviansk at the weekend gave Kiev its biggest military victory yet in its three-month campaign against the separatists.

It has also exposed major splits in rebel ranks at a time when support from Moscow is looking less certain and the government in Kiev has stepped up its military effort against the insurgents in the east.

A photo released on Tuesday by the Ukrainian presidency's office shows Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (right, in fatigues) surrounded by civilians during an unannounced visit to Slaviansk following its recapture from pro-Russian separatists. Photo: AFP

Strelkov left Slaviansk and headed for Donetsk, where the prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Borodai, announced he was giving him military command in the city.

But hours later a rebel battalion leader there cast doubt on whether Strelkov's orders would even be obeyed.

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"There will not be a single command structure here because if Mister Strelkov suddenly decides to leave Donetsk with the aim of saving the lives of the residents of Donetsk or those of his fighters, then we will not follow his order," said the leader of the separatist Vostok Battalion, Alexander Khodakovsky.

Strelkov is a colourful figure known for his pencil moustache and a love of historical battle recreations. He is a Muscovite who goes by several names and his reputation has loomed large in the rebels' attempts to prise eastern Ukraine out of government hands.

Ukrainian troops at an advance post near Slaviansk on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Strelkov's withdrawal to Donetsk has altered the shape of the conflict. The rebels have ceded territory to government forces, but the separatists' firepower - air defence, tanks and armoured vehicles - has now been concentrated in one place.

Armed groups have flooded into Donetsk since the fall of Slaviansk, 100 kilometres to the north. Two bridges were destroyed on Monday after Ukraine's deputy security council chief said his forces would blockade the industrial city of nearly one million.

Alexander Khodakovsky, commander of the rebel Vostok battalion, speaks from his office in Donetsk, which is still in rebel hands. Photo: Reuters

The influx of heavily armed fighters has brought warnings from the mayor's office, telling residents to avoid conflicts with "armed men" and stay away from places where they gather. On Tuesday they continued to fortify their positions.

Separatist leader Pavel Gubarev defended Strelkov's pullout from Slaviansk, comparing it with the exit of Russian general Mikhail Kutuzov from Moscow in 1812, which drew Napoleon's exhausted invading forces deep into Russian territory before cold and hunger broke them.

"Kutuzov also withdrew, and in that there was a plan. In general, Russians only withdraw before the decisive, victorious battle," Mr Gubarev wrote on his social networking VKontakte site.

Mr Borodai said Strelkov's presence in Donetsk would help build a clear chain of command.

"Strelkov is the chief commanding officer. Now a strict chain of command will be established in all armed units," Mr Borodai said in an interview with Russian Internet portal Gazeta.ru.

But another rebel leader, self-styled deputy prime minister Andrei Purgilin, said he wanted a collective decision- making body instead of a single line of command from Strelkov.

Kiev, meanwhile, has brushed off strong European Union pressure and rejected talks with pro-Russian rebels.

The unconditional stance reflects a new confidence in Kiev that it is on the verge of quashing the uprising.

"Now, any negotiations are possible only after the rebels completely lay down their arms," Defence Minister Valery Heletey said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said during an unannounced visit to Slaviansk that talks with the uprising's commanders were impossible because most were now hiding in Moscow.

Mr Poroshenko told reporters he would only speak "to the real masters of (the eastern region of) Donbass - the steel workers and miners".